William heath



@uiten tstrs @anni @ffice WILLIAM HEATH, 0F BATH, MAINE; Letters Patent NQ. 73,008, dated January 7, 1868.

4INVALID-BBDSTBADs.

dite .tlghule referat tu it time sttetsftteut actuating ,putt nf ttt time.

'I O ALL PERSONS TO WHOM THESEIRESENTS SHALL COME:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HEATH, of Bath, in the county of Sagadahoc, and State of Maine, have invented an Improved Invalid-Bedstead; and I do hereby declare the same tov vbe .fully described in the following speciication, and represented inthe accompanying drawings, oi" which` l l Figure 1 is a side elevation, and

Figure 2 a longitudinal section of it.

Figure 3 is a'vertical and transverse section. l v

Figure 4 is another vertical and'transverse section, it beingtaken through the screws and inclined planes for elevating the seat-frame.

The sections of gs. 2 and 3 are taken through the'pot-hole of the seat-frame.

In the said drawings, A denotes the frame for"supporting the operative parts, it being made as represented,

vor otherwise suitably constructed. At or near the foot of this frame is what I term the seat-frame c, which,

at its inner corners, is hinged to the rails v v of the frame A, and constitutes part of what I term the mattresssupporting frame, which is composed of four portions, B, C, D, E, all of which are to be arranged as represented in the drawings, each being suitably connected to that or those next tc it by means of hinges, 'and upholstered or provided with cushions, as shown at 6 c d e. Within the frame A, and projecting from the back frame B,-are twoguidcs, F F, which are connected by a cross-hanf, and project forward underneath the frames C D E,'in manner as shown in figs. 1 and 2. In rear of these guides is a windlass or roller, G, which extends across and revolves in the frame A, and has a gear, g, at one end of it, there being a bolt, h, at the side of the frame A, to operate with such 'gear in -holdingthewindlass G in position, or as occasion may require from revolving. A rope or cordLH, wound around the wind'lass, and attached at que end to the frame 13,'and at the other to the cross-barf, serves, when such windlass is'revolved by a key or crank applied to one of its journals, to elevate the back frame B into an inclined position. The bolt bybeing 'forced into the gear of the windlass, will retain the said frame at any inclination in which'it may be-adjusted. The leg-frame, composed of the two frames D E, and supported on the guides F F, will be lowered into an inclined position while the .back frame B is in the aclof being raised. The seat-frame has a mechanism/applied to it to enable it to be raised into an inclined position. This mechanism consists of a screw-shaft,-H, two wedges,'I I, and two inclined planes,KK. The screw-shaft is supported in bearings t' z', connect-cd with the lseat-frame, and such shaft has two male screws, lc c,mude upon it. They screw through ears,jl Z, extending from the wedges I I. The said wedges rest on inclined planes, K K, aiixed to the fro'nt end of the frame A. By applying a key to the screw-shaft Hi, and revolving the said shaft, the wedges may be moved lengthwise on the inclined planes so as toeilect the elevation ofthe seat-frame to any desirable inclination within the limits of its motion. There is around hole, L, through ithe seat-france, such hole being provided with a cover, M, to fit to it. Such hole is to enable an'invalid to make the usual necessary fecal and urnal evacuations into a vessel or pot when placed on an adjustable'platform or bracket, N, arranged below the hole, and supported by a weight, O, suspended from the said bracket by a cord, y, going over a guide oi pulley, m. The bracket N slides vertically within an arm, R, projecting down from the seatlframqand it is connectedto the arm by a set of tcggles, Q R, such serving, when the bracket is at its highest position, to hold it there.A The weight is tosupport the bracket,and a vessel thereon, and to elevate them, sc as to bring the vessel up through the holo in the seat, and closely against a person when seated over or lying upon the hole.

An invalid-bedstead, made as hereinbefore explained, and as represented in the accompanying drawings, is calculated to he ofgreat convenience to a sick person, or to an individual who may be suffering from a. fever or other illness, or a fracture or amputation of a. limb. n It is much more simple, in several particulars, than that heretofore patented by me.- The foot-frame E is hinged to the thigh-frame D in such manner that it canbe turned upward and over andupon the said thigh-frame when the bedstead may not be in use; such foot-frame,

' when down in range of the leg-frame, being supported by meansofcne or more projections or armspu u, extending from thescid leg-frame. Thepeculiar application o f the foot-frame enables the bedstead to be reducedin conia pass for transportation, or being stowed away.

In the above-described invalid-bedstead I claim as myinvention thefollowing', viz I I claim the arrangement and the application ofthe wndlass, G, and its cord, H, and tbe gear g and bolt 'h thereof', with the back frame B, and the main frame A of' the bedstead, substantially as described.

I also claim the combination of the movable bracket N, and its supportng-cord and weight, O, with the seat-fame C, and its arm, R, as set forth.

I also claim the seat-elevating mechanism, and its arrangement with the main frame and the seatfi'ame, as specified, such seat-elevating mechanism consisting of the shaft H', its Vscrew or screws, c c, and one or more Wedges I I, and inclined planes, K K, to operate together, as explained.

I also claim the combination of the toggles P Q with the movable bracket N, its supporting-weight, o, and

arm, R, as hereinbefore described.

WILLIAM HEATH.

Witnesses:

J. C. LOWELL, F. E. WILSON. 

